The SMART headquarters buzzed with tense energy as Akira and the team stumbled through its fortified doors. Their battered appearances and haunted expressions told a story of battle and loss before a word was spoken. Dr. Yumiko stood waiting, her usual composure marred by tightness around her eyes.
As they made their way through the facility, Akira couldn't help but notice the barely concealed stares and hushed whispers that followed them. News of their mission's outcome had clearly spread quickly. He caught snippets of conversation:
"...Izanami's gate..."
"...Hikari's gone..."
Each word felt like a dagger, twisting in his gut. Akira clenched his fists, struggling to keep his newly acquired powers in check. The air around him shimmered faintly, responding to his turbulent emotions.
Ren noticed, placing a steadying hand on Akira's shoulder. "Easy there, sparky," he murmured. "We don't need any divine outbursts right now."
Akira nodded, taking a deep breath. As they approached the briefing room, he caught sight of their reflections in a polished steel panel. The contrast between Ren's outward composure and the storm raging in his eyes spoke volumes. Akira realized that beneath his teammate's cocky exterior, Ren was just as shaken by Hikari's loss.
"Thank goodness you're back," Dr. Yumiko said, ushering them towards the secure briefing room. "We've been monitoring the situation as best we could, but..." She trailed off, her gaze lingering on Akira with an intensity that made him uneasy.
As they filed into the room, Akira noticed Captain Takeshi hanging back, his posture rigid with barely contained emotion. Just before the door closed, Akira overheard a snippet of conversation between Takeshi and Dr. Yumiko:
"...should never have sent them," Takeshi growled. "They weren't ready."
"We had no choice," Dr. Yumiko replied softly. "The stakes were too high."
The exchange left Akira with a sinking feeling. How much of what had happened was part of a larger plan?
Once sealed inside the room, Captain Takeshi began the debriefing. His voice was gruff, tinged with fatigue and barely suppressed anger as he recounted the chaos at Izanami's gate. When he reached Hikari's capture, his fists clenched tight enough to whiten his knuckles.
As Takeshi spoke, Akira found his gaze drawn to a series of monitors on the far wall. They displayed various news feeds from around the world, each one painting a picture of growing chaos. Divine manifestations, political upheavals, natural disasters that defied explanation – the world was changing rapidly, and not for the better.
All eyes turned to Akira as Takeshi finished. Dr. Yumiko leaned forward, her gaze sharp. "Akira, I need you to walk me through the trial. Every detail matters."
Akira shifted uncomfortably, sensing an undercurrent of urgency in her tone. "It's... fragmented. I remember the corrupted spirits, then... nothing. Just waking up in the chaos."
As he spoke, Akira felt a strange resonance within him, as if his newly acquired powers were reacting to his words. He struggled to maintain his composure, acutely aware of Dr. Yumiko's scrutiny.
Dr. Yumiko's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. "Nothing at all? No sensations, no visions?"
"I'm sorry," Akira said, meeting her gaze steadily. "It's all a blank."
The lie tasted bitter on his tongue, but Akira couldn't shake the feeling that revealing the truth about his new powers would be dangerous. Not just for him, but for everyone involved.
Dr. Yumiko held his gaze for a moment longer before nodding, her expression unreadable. "Very well. We'll need to run some additional tests. Your experience may be... unique."
As she spoke, Akira noticed a subtle change in the room's atmosphere. The air felt charged, as if the very molecules were responding to the tension between them. He wondered if anyone else could sense it, or if it was a side effect of his new abilities.
Ren, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, spoke up. "What about Hikari? We need to get her back." His voice cracked slightly on Hikari's name, betraying the depth of his concern.
Dr. Yumiko's expression softened slightly. "We're doing everything we can to locate her. But I'm afraid the situation is... complicated." She tapped her tablet, and a holographic display sprang to life in the center of the room.
"The events at Izanami's gate have had global repercussions," she explained. "We're seeing a surge in divine awakenings worldwide, unlike anything we've encountered before."
The display showed a map dotted with points of light, each representing a new divine champion. As they watched, more lights flickered into existence. Akira felt a chill run down his spine as he realized the true scale of what they were facing.
"Furthermore," Dr. Yumiko continued, "international tensions are rising over the balance of divine power. Some nations are scrambling to recruit newly awakened champions, while others are taking a more... aggressive approach."
The map zoomed in on Greece. "The entire Greek government collapsed overnight," Dr. Yumiko said grimly. "A coalition of divine champions, embodying figures from Greek mythology, has seized control. They're calling themselves the 'New Olympians' and demanding recognition as the legitimate rulers of Greece."
As Dr. Yumiko spoke, Akira noticed Captain Takeshi's reaction. The man's jaw clenched, and a vein pulsed in his temple. There was more to this than they were being told.
"Captain," Akira said, his voice low but firm. "What aren't you telling us?"
The room fell silent, all eyes turning to Takeshi. For a moment, it seemed he would refuse to answer. Then, with a heavy sigh, he spoke.
"We've received intelligence that similar coups are being planned in other countries. Egypt, China, even here in Japan. There's a faction that believes divine champions should rule directly, rather than work within existing power structures."
The revelation sent a shockwave through the room. Ren let out a low whistle, while Dr. Yumiko's expression tightened further.
Akira's mind reeled. The world was changing faster than he could process. And somewhere out there, Hikari was a prisoner, possibly being used as a bargaining chip in this new, volatile landscape.
"We need to find her," Akira said, his voice firm. "Whatever it takes."
Dr. Yumiko nodded, but her expression was guarded. "We're doing our best, Akira. But we have to be careful. One wrong move could spark an international incident... or worse."
As the meeting concluded, Akira couldn't shake the feeling that Dr. Yumiko knew more than she was letting on. Her questions about the trial had been too specific, her interest in his experience too intense. He resolved to be cautious moving forward, even as guilt gnawed at him for hiding the truth about his new powers.
---
The next few days passed in a blur of tests, debriefings, and tense strategy sessions. SMART headquarters was a hive of activity, with new recruits arriving daily as Japan scrambled to bolster its ranks of divine champions.
Akira found himself constantly on edge, struggling to maintain control over his newly acquired powers. Simple tasks became fraught with danger – a moment of lost concentration could result in unexpected surges of divine energy.
During one particularly grueling training session, Akira lost focus for a split second. The training dummy before him suddenly shattered, pieces flying in all directions. Panic surged through him, and before he could stop himself, he activated [[Spirit Ward Lv. 2]], creating a barrier that contained the debris.
As the dust settled, Akira found himself face to face with a wide-eyed technician who had been monitoring the session.
"I'm so sorry," Akira stammered. "I didn't mean to—"
The technician cut him off with a nervous laugh. "No worries, kid. We've seen weirder. Just... maybe take it easy on the power output, yeah? The cleanup crew is getting overtime, but still."
The incident left Akira shaken, acutely aware of the potential he now carried within him. He redoubled his efforts to master his new abilities, spending hours in meditation and focused practice.
One such arrival caught everyone's attention. Kazuko Ishikawa strode into the facility like she owned it, her muscular arms covered in intricate tattoos that seemed to shimmer with latent power. At 28, she carried herself with the confidence of someone who had fought for respect in a world that often denied it.
"So this is where they're keeping all the god-touched, huh?" Kazuko said, pulling a strip of beef jerky from her pocket and chewing thoughtfully. "Fancier than the welding shop, I'll give you that."
Dr. Yumiko stepped forward to greet her. "Welcome to SMART, Ishikawa-san. We're glad you decided to join us."
Kazuko shrugged. "Not like I had much choice. Hard to keep a day job when you're accidentally calling down lightning every time you get pissed at a coworker."
From across the room, Ren perked up at the mention of lightning. His eyes narrowed as he assessed the newcomer, electricity crackling at his fingertips.
Kazuko noticed his reaction, a smirk playing at the corners of her mouth.
As she moved closer, Akira found himself studying Kazuko more closely. The way she casually manipulated divine storm powers nagged at something in his memory.
"Kazuko," he said hesitantly, "your aspect... it's Susanoo, right? But I thought..." He trailed off, unsure how to broach the subject of Ryota.
Dr. Yumiko, overhearing the conversation, stepped in. "You're wondering about Ryota Tanaka, aren't you? How two people could have the same divine aspect?"
Akira nodded, grateful for the intervention.
Dr. Yumiko's expression grew serious. "It's not common, but it does happen. When a divine champion falls or loses their patron's blessing, sometimes the aspect can be claimed by another worthy individual. They undergo the trial and become the new champion."
Kazuko snorted. "That's the polite way of putting it. I went through hell to claim this power."
"There's another possibility too," Dr. Yumiko continued. "Sometimes, a particularly powerful deity can bestow a portion of their aspect to multiple individuals. These 'divine squires' as we call them, possess a fraction of the god's power. It's possible that's what happened with Ryota, and Kazuko here is Susanoo's true champion."
Akira's mind reeled at the implications. "So, theoretically, there could be multiple champions or squires for any given deity?"
Dr. Yumiko nodded. "Exactly. It's one of the reasons the current situation is so volatile.
"But that's a topic for another conversation," she said firmly. "Ishikawa-san, let's get you settled in. Ren, I believe you have a training session scheduled."
As they watched Kazuko disappear down a hallway with Dr. Yumiko, Ren's grin faded. "Great," he muttered. "Just what we need. Another loose cannon with a god complex."
Akira raised an eyebrow. "Pot, meet kettle?"
Ren shot him a glare, but there was no real heat behind it. "You know what I mean."
Akira nodded, understanding the real concern behind Ren's words.
As they made their way to their next briefing, neither of them could shake the feeling that they were standing on the precipice of something much bigger than themselves.
---
In a realm beyond mortal comprehension, the gods gathered. The ethereal viewing screen before them replayed the events of Izanami's trial, focusing on the moment of Akira's impossible power acquisition. The assembled deities watched in stunned silence as divine energies swirled within the mortal boy.
Amaterasu, her form radiant with solar fire, was the first to speak. "This... this is unprecedented. The boy has gained power from both Izanagi and Izanami. It should not be possible."
Susanoo, storm clouds gathering around his imposing figure, growled. "It's an abomination. The divine order exists for a reason. This mortal threatens the very fabric of our existence!"
As the gods argued, the very fabric of their realm seemed to ripple and distort, mirroring the instability introduced by Akira's new powers. The world tree, Yggdrasil, creaked and groaned, its branches swaying in an unseen wind.
Before the debate could heat up further, a flash of golden light heralded the arrival of a messenger. The divine being bowed low, his voice carrying the weight of urgent tidings.
"Esteemed ones, I bring word from the Celestial Palace. The Jade Emperor demands an explanation for this breach of cosmic law. They accuse the Shinto pantheon of deliberately upsetting the divine balance."
The gathered gods erupted into chaos. Accusations flew, divine energy crackling through the air as tempers flared. Fujin and Raijin, Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi - siblings and rivals alike found themselves at odds.
In the midst of the uproar, two minor deities came to blows. Their divine power clashed, sending shockwaves through the fabric of reality. In the mortal realm, the earth trembled, and storms raged across clear skies.
"ENOUGH!" The command rang out, silencing the divine assembly. Izanagi stepped forward, his form shifting between aspects. "We cannot afford such petty squabbles. The mortal realm is in chaos, and our actions here only add to the turmoil."
Izanami materialized beside him, her presence a chill counterpoint to his warmth. "My husband speaks wisely. We must investigate this anomaly thoroughly before taking action. We cannot simply destroy the boy without understanding the consequences."
As she spoke, a tendril of shadow curled around her form, a physical manifestation of the connection she now shared with Akira through his new powers. Izanagi noticed, his eyes narrowing in concern.
The pantheon grudgingly agreed, though tension still simmered beneath the surface. As the gods dispersed, Izanagi and Izanami lingered, their gazes fixed on the image of Akira frozen on the ethereal screen.
"He has opened a door that cannot be easily closed," Izanami mused, her voice tinged with an emotion that might have been curiosity... or hunger.
Izanagi nodded solemnly. "Indeed."
As they spoke, neither noticed the shadow that detached itself from a far corner of the divine realm, slipping away unseen. The Shinto pantheon was not the only one with eyes on Akira Kageyama.
---
Back at SMART headquarters, Akira stood before a window, looking out at the Tokyo skyline. The city seemed unchanged, but he could feel the subtle shifts in the world around him. The balance of power was tilting, divine energies seeping into the mortal realm in ways they never had before.
He thought of Hikari, out there somewhere, possibly scared and alone. He thought of the strange power within him, still not fully understood. And he thought of the gods, whose attention he could feel like a weight on his shoulders.
As if in response to his thoughts, a notification flashed across his vision:
```
[SYSTEM ALERT]
Divine interest level: Critical
Multiple pantheons observing
Warning: Actions may have multiversal consequences
```